Liberty That Is Produced And Maintained By Christ

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' " - John 8:31-32 ESV

The freedom that knowing Christ produces is contained in the framework of the truth and a willing submission to Christ as a teacher. This freedom is produced and contained by Christ's true words. With Christ at the center the freedom is contained. This is as true for the individual as it is for a society. Without Him the very freedoms Christianity made possible will beat the society or person to pieces.

It is like building a water tower and filling it with water. If you destroy the structure the water will eventually leak, eroding what it is dripping on, or come pouring out and cause damage to whatever is in it's path.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery... You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness... A little leaven leavens the whole lump... For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another... For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." - Galatians 5:1, 4-5, 9, 13, 17-18 ESV

Rules can't contain or produce freedom. Neither can humanistic man centered values. Left to himself man ruins things. History reveals that fact clearly enough.

If the Christian God produced the freedom why would we think we could maintain or contain it? Because we are proud people.

When liberty begins to fail it is replaced with associations with like-minded people who compliment us while excluding those who don't. We become conditional to protect ourselves.

When we exclude God or add to the message of grace until it is not grace anymore (only a pinch or leaven and time are needed to do that) then we are creating a vacuum that our flesh or some other tyrant will gladly come and fill.

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel... But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1:3-6, 11-12 KJV

The society or person that lives in the free gift God has given will be free and will grow progressively in freedom because this message truly is from Heaven and the freedom it produces is regulated by Heaven.

We are naive to think that we can't be drawn away. If it happened in the early Church it can happen to us. Jesus must be our focus and His grace must be our method. Then what He produces has a container that is also maintained by Him.

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